Entry requirements and training (orthoptist)

This page has information on the entry requirements and training needed to become an orthoptist.

To practice as an orthoptist, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). In order to register with the HCPC, you first need to have successfully completed an approved degree (BSc) in orthoptics.

Degree courses are available at three universities in the UK. They take three or four years. Courses involve a lot of practical work with patients as well as the theoretical knowledge you will need.

To get onto an orthoptics degree course you will need

two or three A levels, including a science, along with five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language, maths and science

or alternative qualifications, including

BTEC, HND or HNC which includes science

relevant NVQ

science-based access course

equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications.

However, each institution sets its own entry requirements. Some specify which science you need (usually biology and/or physics). It’s important to check carefully.

Wherever you study, you will need to show that you have an understanding of orthoptics. It is a good idea to spend some time with a registered orthoptist to see what the work is like.

Once you’ve successfully completed a programme approved by the HCPC, you are then eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC. Once registered as a practitioner, you’ll be required to retain your name on the register by keeping your knowledge and skills up to date and paying an annual retention fee.